palmspringsscal-969-441461

Well it was a 10 to me.It was my first film id ever worked in. I was never interested in film and didn't even know anyone in school plays much less. Then out of left field.... I got the job as a fluke when i answered an add in the local paper. I stood in for Royal Dano and jack Ilam. I got to do an extra scene a couple times. I was at the lead of city folks that chased the king and the other dufas along the river.im seen throwing my hat down at the end of the chase when the two rascals we chased ,shoved off in a boat and escaped. The filming was in the winter of 74 lightly swollen Sacramento River near colusa Ca. Ron howards family was there and they were so nice to us peons . One thing that surprised me was the water lines they even painted on the buildings about 6 ft or so off the ground to simulate the mississippi standing flood levels before there were levees high enough to contain the river. I had been staring at them from a distance wondering how the water level got that high on farm land here. It would have been big news if a levee had broke to cause those high marks. When I asked the script person about it,he laughed and told me they had been painted on for realism. i don't think you could even see it on film,but is was real and on every building on the vacant farm we were shooting at. They were very exacting about details like that. i rarely notice that level of authenticity anymore. It rained lightly off and on the entire shoot and i recal seeing merle haggard and others sitting in the chowhouse gambling the time away until they could resume shooting. The big production companies always had good food too.